WheelMap.org is used right around the world to help people find accessible places in their community. The app and website is available anywhere and there are already almost 500,000 Mapped places worldwide. Now that technology enables us to share this information freely, why not use it for the benefit of the community!

At WheelMap HQ they've found that the most successful Mappers get together with other Mappers in their community and get friends, colleagues or neighbours involved in order to cover more ground and more locations.

You can get started today by downloading the app and the next step is to gather a few friends to join the global movement and organise a Mapping Day.

You can search for your community on WheelMap.org and check how many locations are already mapped. Don't worry if there aren't any yet - all the more reason to get your group together today and start mapping.

Gather your mapping team - these can be friends, colleagues or classmates - the more the merrier! Get people excited about the opportunity to improve the community and have fun while doing it! On the day it's best for Mappers to work in teams of two or three. There is no minimum or maximum number but remember the more people you have involved the more ground you'll cover.

Set a date for your Mapping Day. Wheelmap's global movement of Mapping Days kicks off on December 3rd so why not pick a date in mid December and join thousands of other Mapping Communities around the world. See all the updates from the global community here.

Give yourself a week or two to plan the day and let people know. Here's all you need to do beforehand:

1. Decide on your location - you can aim for just your own neighbourhood i.e. town or village or if you can get a bigger group together , why not try to expand your reach to surrounding neighbourhoods.

2. When and where will you meet up? Decide on a time and meeting place.

3. Invite people - what are the best ways of reaching colleagues and the other mappers? You can send an email around, create a Facebook event or setup a WhatsApp group. People only need to commit to a few hours so you should be able to convince lots of people to get involved!

4. Know the Wheelmap criteria for wheelchair accessibility - and share them with the team, you can find them here

5. Install the Wheelmap app The app can be downloaded for free for Android, iPhone and Windows Phone (Windows 10).

6. Register an account - either on Open Street Map or follow the registration process of your app.

Here's a quick checklist of things you need to keep in mind on the day:

* Make sure that the Wheelmap wheelchair accessibility criteria are clear to everyone

* Make sure everyone has installed the app and understand its functions

* Set a goal for your mapping event, for example, “ We want to mark 200 places”, “...add 50 new places!”, “...upload a photo of the entrance for every place!” etc

* Decide on a route - choosing parts of the town that have many unmarked (grey) places.

* Make sure you have enough smartphones and tablets on hand with batteries charged.

Sharing is caring!

Make sure to share your findings and also to capture moments from the day and share them with other mappers around the world on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #MapMyDay

Feedback is helpful

Get together to wrap up your mapping event: Share your experiences and see what your “MapMyDay” event has contributed to the Wheelmap!

The Global Movement

Keep in touch and find out what is happening in other parts of the world - go to OpenStreetMap and leave your contact information.

Register here to get started and we'll make sure you have everything you need!!